WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR JULY 2017

My ol girl winklie-dinks aka bullwinkle

Good evening folks.

Allie - thinking about you. Sending positive thoughts. You will soon enjoy peace of mind and it will feel blissful.

Holly Welcome! Great bunch of supportive folks here.

I was a bit sick after supper last night (tossed it) and didn't get to sleep until early morning. I think it was allergies. And... that's probably why I felt lethargic all week. I haven't had any problems with allergies since I quit smoking 4 years ago. Not so much as a stuffy nose. So I'm disappointed to feel this now. I'll count my blessings. I used to get bronchitis every year - sometimes twice a year.

I managed to catch up my sleep today and get 9 hours of actual sleep. Checked my report from my Fitbit. It recorded both sleep events today. Morning hours and evening nap.
--Ginger in Texas

.

Dana - I know how much you like your shepherds' crooks Minus the chiggers of course! I saw this on the Facebook thread for the Instant Pot and thought of you!

It's the silicone sealing ring which can get smelly and is recommended to air in the sun. :laugh:

Lanette - How did your chuck roast go? I haven't tried that yet. I'm afraid of tough meat.

Yesterday I made Paneer and it looks pretty good. I'm going to use half today (freeze the other half) for a nice veggie curry. Got to go shopping first though.
Lunch is Avgolemono, using my broth I made.

The bread I have been making has been delicious, so I might make that again today. I only eat an oz and a half slice (100 cals) for lunch as an open sandwich. DH has two large slices to fatten him up.

Love Heather UK xxxxxxx

NY KAREN - Congratulations on not letting your emotionally exhausting day derail you. :flowerforyou: That is an achievement to be sure.

Love Heather UK xxxxxxx

Beautiful cool (44 degrees) morning at our house - just got back from my walk. Barbie, I saw that full moon and sun coming up in the eastern sky (there was a planet there, not sure which one) when I took Rosie out at 4:30 - stunning. Hard to believe the days will be getting shorter soon.

Heather - the Instant Pot is great. The beef was actually "bottom round" when I looked at the label better - very lean with a fat cap on one side...notoriously tough. I browned it on the sauté setting per the directions, browned onions and added a can of beef broth and seasonings and cooked it for 70 minutes with the fat cap on top, let the pressure reduce naturally.

The result was surprisingly good. The meat is definitely tender but not quite falling apart. I made a thin gravy out of the broth with a little milk & cornstarch heated up on the sauté setting ...that dribbled over the meat made it absolutely scrumptious. Love the sauté feature, by the way. Being able to brown/boil foods in the pot and eliminate using another skillet or pan is definite plus.

Have to figure out what to try next. The silicone gasket does smell like garlic and onions - I'll hang it in the sun today.

Chris - I agree, good job in helping your sis with the mattress purchase and handling the stress.

Katla - enjoy the visit with your son!

Leigh - very happy you had a nice vacation and got to spend time with the folks you love. We missed you! Love the NSV - metro stairs can be hard to tackle for just about anyone. It's these payoffs that keep us going.

Sue in WA - so excited for you getting your goats today. We loved having goats - we had angoras for the mohair - very intelligent and entertaining that's for sure. Kinders look like a wonderful combination of milk, meat, and smaller size. If we still had the farm, we'd add some to the menagerie.

Ginger - glad to see you are catching up on your sleep! Sorry the allergies are coming back.... ugh. Hope they don't last long.

Kate - hope your DGD can make it for a visit soon.

OK ladies, time to hit the work-out. It's going to be a nice, not-too-warm, sunny day today.

Lanette
SW WA State

Beautiful pictures. Love the outfit.

Karen: Enjoy your granddaughter. You're a lucky woman. :flowerforyou:

Pip: I hope the curtains come out just right. You are one smart cookie. Love the photo of your dog and its teddy bear. Which dog is this? :huh:

Barbie: Will you be replacing your deck? We had ours done several years ago with composite decking. It needs to be supported below with more stringers than real wood, but it has been very satisfactory and cleans up well with a pressure washer.

Becca: Sorry you have a headache. Sleep it off if you can. (((HUGS)))

Sue in WA: Goatalimpics sounds like a very entertaining event. I haven't seen an Arabian horse show since I was a kid going to the state fair. The costumes on the riders were lovely, but I wanted to see the horses rather than the fancy getups on the riders. I probably would feel the same way now.

Heather: I grew up on chuck roast. It does very well if it is cooked long and slow. Mom used a pressure cooker with it sometimes and it came out great. Dad liked to boil it and add noodles. His was tougher than a rubber boot. A slow cooker/crockpot would work well and when cut in bite sized pieces it makes great stew. In my experience it can dry out in an oven unless some form of moisture is provided. I love it for stew and usually braise it in a cast iron pot and cook it on the stove top. Sometimes I finish it in the oven. I add veggies for stew after the meat is well started and almost done. I don't like my veggies cooked to smithereens. :noway: Thanks for the Bea fix. She is a joy!

NYKaren: What a challenging day! Your sister is lucky to have you in her life. :flowerforyou:

Lanette: We're looking at a high of 80F today. That will be lovely. :bigsmile:


The weather was great where I live beside the river yesterday and we had a lovely breeze. I even got to go for a walk with my neighbor after not seeing her for weeks. She's had guests and wasn't feeling well for quite a while before that. I was very happy to walk with her. The stable is up on a hill and it was hot-hot-hot there yesterday. Today is the lesson and I'm hoping the temperature will be moderate up there. The forecast is for 80F.

Katla in beautiful NW Oregon

Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!" -Audrey Hepburn

Ginger – Thanks, I will check into that; I know when I stayed in San Antonio, for training, I could look out my window and The Alamo was right across the street, down a little to the left (but not by much). River walk out the back door of the lobby. We’ve just got to decided when we’re leaving and when we’ll get there. Other than in San Antonio, we’ll probably stay in a Hampton Inn along the way … we’ve have good service with them everywhere we’ve gone to stay. Most the one in Villano Beach, FL (close to St. Augustine, FL). We used to take the granddaughters on a long holiday weekend; but, with Taylor going to summer school, Madison with a ‘boyfriend’ connected at the hip, and Emilee just turned 11; it doesn’t look like we are going to be able to work that into this summer. So, we’re taking that ‘trip’ and extending our trip out to see Will, Tami, and Mallory.

Carol and Heather – Since I am not, at all, ‘computer’ savvy, because when I worked we were NOT to even 'try' to fix the problem. I use “Tech 2 Us” for my technical support, security, and ‘back-up’ (everything to the “Cloud”). They’ll cover up to 5 things on their program, computers, printers, and smartphones. Open 7 days a week, have good hours (weekend, shorter). I don’t remember ‘how I started with them’; but, it was early on in their operation. At that point it was 24/7 – now that they have grown, the hours are cut back. They’ve cleaned up issues I have had on my computer; my ‘back-up’ is set on automatic, I don’t think I have been hacked since getting them. Best of all, all technicians are English-speaking. If you check into it and decide you want to go with it; tell them that I referred you and we’ll both get a ‘discount’. I used to pay them yearly; but, sometimes coming up with the total amount (for the savings) just wasn’t convenient, so I had them set them up on an automatic deduct from my bank account. I think for all of it, I pay around $40 a month. If you need my full name, PM me and I will give you my info to use.

Allie – Personally, if I were in your ‘shoes’, I would probably rent, for at least a full year. Your thought of owning a home or a condo (which might be hard[er] to sell) is something you need to think about. If you don’t like a rental (which still could be a condo), you have the option of moving. Again, I still think about ‘Florida’ and living there – if I were ‘in your shoes’. Depending on what you actually end up getting in the divorce, you might find that monthly ‘alimony/settlement’ and ‘good investments’ with using interest, only if you have to (and can’t roll it over to buy more types of investments with it) a part-time job would be enough. Ask yourself, where you are happiest most. I know you have friends in both states.

HAHAHAHA about TomCat and Elena being served and having a ‘laundry list of things they need to bring with them’. Were they ‘surprised’? Floored? Upset? I’m sure TomCat had ‘something to say’ about it. Were they served at ‘work’? Just thinking about that brings a ‘smirk’ to my face.

TomCat stepping in the doggie poo – RITFLMAO! Sounds like that ‘is just the beginning’. Doggie poo!!!!! LOL!!!!! At least HE cleaned your car!

Michele – I’d tell Jess that ‘if’ Denise insists on a ‘formal sit down shower’ to ‘pull out and don’t do anything at all for Denise for being so selfish or allowing her soon-to-be in-law for being the catalyst of her ‘insisting’ on it. Since Pete’s Mother is the ‘mother of the groom, she’ll also have to foot that bill’ for the rehearsal dinner. Just make sure that since she seems to be taking on the 'role of the Mother of the Bride' she isn't expecting you and Vince to pay for the "Rehearsal Dinner" at a 'fancy-swanky' restaurant. Since she is so ‘demanding’ I’d sit back and let her be. Both times Trey got married they married at the bride’s parents/sister’s house, so we did not have a ‘rehearsal dinner’ to pay for. For Will’s we paid for all the meals (only 2 attendants – actually just one other than family) and Tami’s parents had invited her sister and family and they paid for their meals; it was about 50/50 and it wasn’t that bad. I know you’ve missed the opportunity to be the ‘real’ Mother of the Bride; but, when dealing with ‘pushy’ people, sometimes it is just ‘easier’ to let them ‘have their way and spend THEIR money’. Unless Pete has a lot of money coming his way (like if he is an only child and his parents are loaded), I expect that the constant interference will get ‘mighty’ old, soon enough.

Machka – When DDnL#1 had Emilee and went home in 2 days; Trey had to take her back because she had clots on one of her legs and stayed a week. I really think they send babies and mothers home way too soon. I stayed a full week with both mine; but, I was a ‘high risk’ patient. So, the OB would not perform a ‘tubal ligation’ on her. Trey had a vasectomy; then had to have it repeated because he still had a high sperm count; the 2nd one was ‘free of charge’; but, still the same pain. But, the 2nd time around he was ‘up and moving about and working’ quickly. I think that actually made him ‘feel better’.

Lanette – Allie said things were ‘quiet’. Just hope it isn’t the ‘quiet before a storm’. She just needs to make sure she has a place to go and I think she has said she has a friend she can go stay with. That’s good to hear.

I called Windows World on Thursday and they are to call me back for an appointment for the installers that came out to see what I was ‘bitching’ about on the windows. They brought a ‘high quality’ load of 1” x 1” pieces of lumber. They agreed that the first installers took a low grade of wood (tomato stake type) and ripped them. They were not even ‘even’, they were wavy. They agreed that I had every right to be dissatisfied with the work; and, that they would have mitered the corners. They live in Albany, so I specifically requested that they be the installers. But, have no idea when it will get set up. Hopefully soon, so I can get Louis back to working on it. He has filled in the cracks on the siding; and, was thankful that the hole I had showed him still had screen over it, so that wasn’t something he had to deal with. Now for insulation. I don’t think he is looking forward to that; but, will need to get Trey to help him. I know that I am not climbing under the house! Foundation to house is one a concrete wall while the deck and porch are on pillars. But, if I was to run into a spider or spider web; I would die trying to get away from it. I’d rather not take the chance.

Lenora

allie

Allie - If you can't get Florida place (preferable with TomCat paying it off); then everything should be sold and proceeds divided in whatever manner is agreeable to each party; but, at least 50/50 after 20 years of being married to TomCat. Didn't realize your children live there or near. So I understand you not wanting to move away. If TomCat wants the place, then a sum equal to the 'fair market value' should be awarded to you. That way he doesn't have to sell it; but, he has divided what it is worth. Maybe he will move there and then you won't have to worry about him trying to 'worm' his way back in your life ... unless both of you go for marriage counseling, both together and separately (and only if he pays for it, if he is truly sorry for the way he treated you). It takes 2 to tango; and, both must have felt something was missing from their lives; but, once 'trust' has been 'lost'; it is almost impossible to repair. You don't want to 'wonder' what he is up to every time he leaves the house. You will be better for him to just leave. I think you mentioned you had been married before, was he or was TomCat the father of your children? Hopefully, either way they have understood and been supportive of your position. I know it would be difficult, after having my grandchildren just next door to move. Even if my BF will think I don't need to live out here alone, as long as I am physically able, I would want to. But, then I would have to depend on Trey watching or checking on me, mowing the grass and such. I would probably deed the property to my sons, if insurance paid off the house. Only my youngest son would be able to help me out financially. He makes a whole lot more money than Trey. He got to go to college; and, Trey dropped out due to having a baby coming along. But, I would not give up any of them for any reason.

I still think you would be a lot better off to 'rent' somewhere while you are getting yourself together and working with a budget for what you have and have to pay out each month.

Lenora